SPN  Heat of the Moment
by AnimeArchAngel
Summary: Mystery Spot AU. What happens when Dean wakes up to Asia every morning and Sam dies in bizarre ways each Tuesday? Which, by the way, is every day.
1. Chapter 1

_Heat of the moment, tellin' me what I wanted. Heat of the moment-_

"Dude, come on. Wake up."

Dean Winchester shot up in his temporary motel bed and blinked. His brother stood next to him and chuckled, and then began to gather his belongings.

"Dude, Asia?" Dean grinned as he looked at the alarm clock that happened to be blaring a certain song.

"Oh come on," Sam laughed back. "You love this song and you know it. Me, on the other hand…"

"Never said I was denying it." The older Winchester boy reached over to the night stand and cranked the volume up before lip syncing the rest of the chorus to his brother, who shook his head with a smile.

The two brothers then went through their morning routine, meeting in the bathroom to brush their teeth a few minutes later. Dean gurgled water as Sam inspected the toothpaste, doing it just long enough so that the latter would look over in slight confusion. Dean raised his eyebrows with a grin, and Sam carried on.

Afterwards, the older brother spent quite some time searching for his gun, which irritated his brother further. Dean moved dirty clothes, books, and bags around until he finally found the missing object. Sam swiftly left the motel room with Dean moving behind him, and the two hopped into the Impala, but not before the latter could make the plan to go to breakfast.

The Winchesters walked into a small diner, with Dean barging in happily and Sam walking in slightly more hesitantly. It was full of all different people, some in business attire, some in informal wear, and a few even in pajamas. The brothers walked past a table with two rowdy children and a mother, who was trying to feed one and stop the other from playing with his silverware, to get to an open booth. As they sat down, a teenager in leather shook her head and took another drag on her cigarette before walking out. Dean shrugged, looked at the menu, and lit up like a neon sign. Before he could say anything, Sam glanced over at the board and let out a small laugh.

"You don't even know what that is," he stated, and Dean shrugged.

"I don't need to! It's pig 'n a poke!"

Their conversation was put to rest as a plump waitress walked over to the table and asked to take their order. After ordering the special with a side of bacon, two coffees, and a short stack, the brothers were left to themselves once again.

"So, can you explain to me why we're here, instead of looking for Bella?" Dean asked his brother, who sighed in return.

"Dean, if you know anything I don't, let me in on it," he replied. Dean made a face, and Sam continued. "Believe me, I want to find her too, but for now, we've got this."

Sam Winchester tossed a few papers onto the table, and his brother took the newspaper clipping from the bunch. A black and white photo looked back at him, and as he skimmed the article, Sam explained about the professor that vanished at a local attraction called the Mystery Spot just last week. He eyed the pamphlet as the waitress came back with their drinks. Dean took a sip of his coffee as she lowered his brother's onto the table. The woman turned away, but as she left, she bumped the table, causing Sam's beverage to spill onto the floor.

"Aw, crap," she said, and hollered for a clean up. Dean raised his eyebrows and took another chug of coffee. He was going to need the caffeine.

Half an hour later, Sam and Dean found themselves walking down the sidewalk in the general direction of the Mystery Spot. Dean glanced over the tourist pamphlet as he walked, remaining skeptical of the whole situation.

"These things are normally just scams," he frowned as Sam dodged a few kids that were sprinting past. "Nothing supernatural about kooky lighting and tables on the ceiling."

Sam shrugged. "I don't see the problem with just checking it out. It wouldn't be the craziest thing we've encountered if something really did happen at this place. I mean, there's lore to go along with it, and stories of spots opening up and swallowing people all over the world."

A pizza delivery man zoomed past on his bicycle, and the Winchesters had to hug the wall to get out of his way in time. "Okay, okay," Dean replied. "We can head over there tonight after they close and take a look. Happy?"

As they stepped back out into the center of the sidewalk, a teenager listening to music with large headphones ran into Sam. The boy glared and then continued on, leaving Sam confused.

"Man, what is up with the people in this town?" Dean groaned. "This Mystery Spot must be the only thing they've got goin' for 'em. Oh, and the pig 'n a poke."

At half past ten, Dean was crouching by the side door of Broward County's biggest tourist attraction, picking the lock with ease. He slinked inside with Sam just a few steps behind him. The latter flipped his flashlight on, shined it down the hall, and the brothers glanced at each other. They then made their way deeper into the Mystery Spot.

The two stepped into a larger room, and from the small portable light, saw just what Dean had described. The back end of a horse stuck out from the wall while a dinner table hung from the ceiling. The nails holding it in where clearly visible, but they were rusty and old. A lamp and a dinner plate were stuck to the table as well, with the glue obviously oozing from the sides. Sam's flashlight also revealed orange question marks plastered on the walls and seahorses protruding from a doorway. Dean grinded his teeth as he stepped around a hanging lantern while his brother moved under the 'magic table' to inspect it further. It seemed to creek as he stepped near it, and it swayed slightly when he ran his finger across the side. Dean took to investigating the moose head on the wall, only to be interrupted by a frightened looking man carrying a shotgun. He also happened to be pointing it right at them.

"What are you guys doing here?" he squeaked, and Dean quickly reached for his gun to point back. Sam shined the flashlight over the man with one hand and raised the other over his head.

"Whoa whoa, take it easy man," Dean grunted. "We're not here to hurt you or any of the crap in here."

"Then why are you here at all?" the man asked, tightening the grip on his gun.

"Just stay calm," Sam stated, glancing nervously at Dean. The table above him shook again.

"Don't move!"

"I'm just getting something from my pocket," Sam stated, and this time, Dean was the one who gave his brother a nervous look. "Just a newspaper clipping, about the professor that vanished last week. Did you hear about it?"

"Yeah, so?" The man gripped the gun even tighter and put his finger closer to the trigger, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

Dean frowned. "Hey, why don't you put the gun—"

Before he could finish his request, there was a large crash, followed by dust filling the room. Dean looked over to find Sam missing and swatted the particles away with a cough. When the dust had cleared, he found his brother under the table, along with a large chunk of the ceiling. He had cuts from the glass all over his face and blood slid down his cheek as Dean ran over to him.

"Sam? Sammy?" he cried. His brother coughed in reply. "Sammy, come on! You're not going out like this."

Sam Winchester's eyes closed.

_It was the heat of the moment, tellin' me what I wanted-_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

_It was the heat of the moment, tellin' me what I wanted. Heat of the moment—_

"Dude, come on. Wake up."

Dean woke with a fright, rocketing up in his temporary motel bedroom. Was he just imagining things? Was he hallucinating Sam's voice?

He looked over to his right with high hopes and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Sammy hovering over him.

"You okay?" his younger brother questioned, and then chuckled. "I thought you liked Asia."

Dean laughed quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Nah, I'm fine. Just… a bad dream, I guess."

Sam stared at his brother for a few seconds before shrugging the matter off. "Well, come on. We've gotta get down to this Mystery Spot."

The two then went through an eerily familiar morning routine, with Sam inspecting the toothpaste with slight surprise after he had gathered his belongings in the same order he had in Dean's 'dream'. Dean even had a feeling as to where his gun would be before he started looking for it. He tried his best to hide his surprise from Sam as the two hopped into the Impala and on their way to breakfast.

The older Winchester sighed as they reached the front door of their destination, and braced himself as he pushed it open. He walked through the doorway hesitantly with Sam on his heels. The man stopped dead in his tracks as he looked around the establishment, dumfounded. At the table closest to the two, a mother sat with her boys—one of was using his silverware as action figures, making them fly through the air, while the other was being fed cereal by his mother. Over by the bar, a teenage girl stood smoking a cigarette while the waiters looked angrily at her. He looked around at the suits, t-shirts, and PJs in astonishment.

"Dean?"

The man blinked, coming back to reality as his brother called his name. Sam was standing by an open booth (the same they had occupied when Dean was asleep, too) and was looking at his brother in confusion. "This one's open." Dean shook his head as he made his way over.

"Dude, are you okay?" Sam asked as they both sat down. "Are you hung over?"

"What? No, no…"

"Then what's wrong with you?"

"Just give me a minute," Dean replied with a bit of an edge in his voice, and looked at the menu with a frown. He chuckled despite himself when he saw the pig 'n a poke. _Well, if it was as delicious as it was in my dream…_

"You don't even know what that is," Sam stated as he followed Dean's gaze.

The next few moments were no surprise for the older Winchester boy. The same plump waitress in the same pale yellow uniform came to their table to get their orders. Then, Sam pulled out very familiar pamphlets, papers, and newspaper clippings to show Dean. Sam explained the disappearance of the professor (which, the facts in his brother's dream lined up with perfectly) as Dean eyed the waitress, waiting for her to bring their food, but not quite because he was hungry. As she finally made her way over, he shushed his brother suddenly.

"Shut up for a second," the man hissed. Sam's eyebrows raised in surprise as he frowned, but he closed his mouth.

"Here you are," the woman said with a smile, setting down their coffee with one hand. Dean's eyes never left her face, and Sam looked at him nervously. The waitress walked away, but not before bumping into the table. Sam's cup fell over, and Dean slammed his hands onto the table, which earned a few looks from the other diners. As she called for a clean-up, Dean grimaced at his brother, who returned the expression.

"Okay, tell me what this is about," the younger said. "You've been acting weird all day. What's up?"

"I knew that was going to happen," Dean said quietly, his voice a growl deep in his throat.

"What?"

"I knew the coffee was going to spill. I told you to shut up because I was waiting for it to happen. I knew that the kids would be sitting at the front table, that the smoking teenager would leave after we came in, and I know that the freakin' pig 'n a poke is going to be freakin' good."

Sam stared at Dean in silence for a few moments. "What… how? I thought I was the one with the premonitions. Are you—"

"I don't know, Sam," his brother grunted. "But I'm starting to think that that dream I had last night wasn't just a dream."

"Well, uh, what happened in the dream?" Sammy questioned.

"This, Sam," Dean motioned around the diner. "Then we left, waited around, and went to the Mystery Spot. A-and then—that's it."

"Okay, well, maybe there's something at the Mystery Spot," Sam noted. "Maybe there's something what showed you what was going to happen today. I say we take a look tonight after they clo—"

"No!" Dean said angrily, and just a little too quickly. He covered it up with a chuckle. "I mean, er… if we go after they close, there won't be any pretty tourist women to hit on." He shrugged as Sam stared at him, who laughed after a few moments.

"You're the same as always."

After a short breakfast (they couldn't just leave right away, after all, because the "pig 'n a poke was too good to pass up"), the Winchesters were on their way to the Mystery Spot, walking down a very familiar sidewalk as they went. Sam looked into shop windows curiously as they passed by each one, while Dean looked around cautiously. The latter suddenly stopped in front of a movie store and called to his brother with a laugh. Sam stopped and joined his brother by the window.

"Heeey, dude! Groundhog Day is on sale for five bucks!"

Sam grinned and shook his head at his brother as he started to move forward once again. As he went, four boys ran into him, shoving him out of their little ways individually. The big man managed to stay upright, only to trip over his own feet a few seconds later. Dean sighed as he moved towards his brother to help him up, making a mental note to be thankful that he actually hadn't been hurt that time—

Down the center of the sidewalk, a bicycle zoomed towards them, with a pizza delivery man trying to control the contraption with one hand while the other held onto his hat. He swerved every which way, making people dodge him as he went. Sam looked up right as the man neared him, and the man looked down right as he approached Sam's head.

_CRASH!_

_It was the heat of the moment…_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_Heeeeat of the moment—_

"Dude, come on. Wake up."

Dean Winchester woke with a fright, sitting up abruptly in his dingy motel bed. He looked up at his brother, who was towering over him in the small space between their beds. Dean stared at Sam in confusion, his brows arched in thought.

Sam returned the look, unaware of anything strange going on. "You okay?"

"…yeah, sure."

By the time the boys arrived at the diner, Dean had had enough. He tried to contain himself as he fought his way to the booth in the back of the establishment, and sat down with an angry thud. He glared at his brother as made his way over; in Dean's frustrated state, Sam taking his own time on even the small things seemed like it was taking forever and a day.

"Hurry it up, Sammy," Dean growled. "I'm freakin' out here, and you're not helping!"

"Calm down, Dean," Sam replied, doing his best to keep his brother from making a scene in the small town diner. That was the last thing they needed, but he could tell that his sibling wasn't far from it.

"Would you just listen to me?"

Their banter was cut short as Doris the Waitress approached the table with her notepad at the ready. "What can I get you boys?" she asked as the two broke away from the glare they had been sending each other.

Before Sam could open his mouth to reply, Dean quickly shot out the order. "I'll have the special, side of bacon, he'll have a short stack, two coffees black, thanks."

Doris stared for a moment before jotting down the rest of the order. "Okay, coming right up", she stammered before heading back to the kitchen.

"Dean, I'm a big boy, you know. I can order my own fo—"

"Really, Sam?" Dean hissed back. "Really? You're going to joke around at a time like this? Can't you clearly see that your normally calm, cool, and collected brother is flipping out right now?"

"Okay, Dean, okay. Now, what did you say you thought was happening?"

"Groundhog Day," the elder Winchester replied. "I think I'm living Groundhog Day, or something pretty friggin' close to it."

Sam thought for a moment. "So you're stuck in some sort of time loop?"

"Exactly, a time loop!" Dean's spirits lifted just slightly, happy to know that his brother at least knew the name for the phenomena that was happening to him. It only took a few seconds for them to plummet back down, though, as he saw Sam struggling to hold back a smile. "What, now you don't believe me? After everything we've been through, everything we've done, _now_ you're deciding that I've lost it and I'm spouting out bullcrap?"

"Well that's just it, Dean," Sam stated. "It is a little bit hard to grasp. I mean, even for us, it's just a little crazy, maybe even a little X-Files."

Before Dean could answer, Doris was back with their coffee and began lowering the mugs in front of the boys. The younger smiled at her with thanks, while the elder glowered at his brother's drink, waiting for the event that he knew was going to happen next. Sure enough, as the plump little waitress walked away from their booth, she accidentally hit the table once again. Sam's coffee mug teetered dangerously as the woman turned back to watch her mistake with a gasp, but Dean managed to grab the top of the mug before any of the liquid spilled.

"Hey, thanks!" Doris exclaimed with a grin, but the man ignored her, instead focusing his attention back to Sam.

"So you knew that was going to happen?" Sam asked, realizing that perhaps there really was something going on here.

"No, Sam, I'm just Batman. Of course I knew that was going to happen! It's happened twice now, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out it's going to happen again."

"Alright, Dean," the younger Winchester sighed. "It's okay, really. We'll find out what's going on here, but for right now, just calm down and wait for your breakfast."

"Sammy, I don't think you get it," Dean replied with a chuckle, which then turned into a growl. "I can't calm down, okay? I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

Sam looked at his brother, his eyebrows hunched down in confusion and concern. "Because what, Dean?"

"Because you die today, Sammy," his brother said quietly, yet forcefully. "Twice now, I've watched you die, and I can't do it anymore. I really can't. It's tearing me apart like you wouldn't believe, Sam. Watching my younger brother die over and over is just a slap in the face because…" the man cleared his throat and trailed off.

Sam stared at his brother, slightly shocked at what he had just said. He sat up straight in his chair and swallowed hard. "Okay, well… we'll figure this out, Dean. I promise."

Half an hour later, the Winchesters found themselves walking down the sidewalk and towards the Broward County Mystery Spot. Despite his full stomach and slightly higher spirits, Dean looked around anxiously, walking very close to his brother. He was ready to do whatever it took to keep Sam alive this time.

"So, I guess we should go check out this Mystery Spot," the younger Winchester stated, "see if there's anything worth while there. We can take a look around this evening, after they close."

Dean shook his head. "No, we're going right now."

"Why's that?" Sammy questioned. "…I certainly hope you're not thinking about the tourist wome—"

Dean stopped in his tracks and gave his brother a look. "It's obviously a real reason, Sam, I mean…"

"Just tell me why."

"I've seen you die there once already," the elder Winchester spat as he looked at the ground.

Sam let out a short laugh. "No way. The Mystery Spot?"

"You were flattened, actually. Speaking of which—"

Dean suddenly grabbed his brother's shoulder, pulling him out of the center of the sidewalk and up against one of the shop windows. He glared at the small group of kids as they zoomed by, and then at the delivery man as he sped past on his bike. He struggled to control the urge to run after each of them and beat them all to a pulp. Dean turned to Sam with a frown, and the latter laughed in astonishment for the second time.

"Here, too? How is that even—"

"You don't wanna know, Sammy," Dean growled, before quickly adding, "So just watch where you're going, alright?" He then started walking across the street, with Sam jogging to catch up to him after he had stared in disbelief for a few seconds.

"First of all, I want to thank you boys for coming," the owner of the Mystery Spot told the now suit-clad Winchesters a few hours later. "We need all the good press we can get, and this'll be a great way of spreading the word about the spooky phenomena that you'll witness here."

"Right," Dean smiled his incredibly fake smile.

"It's our pleasure," Sam replied, smiling with the most genuine-looking smile he could manage to make up for his brother. "So, Mr. Carpiak, how long have you owned the place?"

The man grinned from ear to ear. "Well, my family has been guarding this place for generations. Way longer than you boys have been around, that's for sure."

"And so you'd be aware of anything strange happening?" Sammy questioned further, jotting down a few notes on his notepad.

"Strange?" Mr. Carpiak laughed. "Son, strange happens here all the time! It's not called the Mystery Spot just because, after all."

"And why is that, exactly?" Dean asked roughly.

"It's where the laws of physics have no meaning!"

"But what does that mean?"

"You'll just have to take the tour!" the man smiled, and Dean clenched his jaw in frustration.

"Look, buddy," he said, advancing on Mr. Carpiak, "we don't have time to take the tour. There's something weird going on here. Now do you know anything about it, or am I going to have to beat the information out of you?"

"Hey, whoa!" the owner of the tourist attraction backed up a few feet, and Sam put a hand on Dean's shoulder to back him up too. Mr. Carpiak's voice lowered a bit and his eyes darted around the room. "Listen, boys, I-I don't really know much about this place, okay? I bought it cheap at the foreclosure auction in March. It's really nothing much at all, alright?"

Dean glared at the man as he took a step forward, but his brother's grip tightened in response. "Alright, Dean, I think we're done here." The older Winchester waited to break his eye contact for a few more seconds before turning to walk away in the other direction, while the younger smiled apologetically at the frightened Mr. Carpiak.

"Just like I thought," Dean said angrily as he loosened his tie with both hands while he walked along the side of the street, "that place was a load of crap. And it was our only freakin' lead, too!"

"Dean, it's okay," his brother replied as he came up beside him. "Look, you said you wake up every time I die, right?" Dean nodded. "Well, that's it then. We just have to make sure I stay alive until tomorrow, and then maybe it'll break the whole time loop. I think we should go back to the hotel and wait until midnight, and then we can talk about what to do from there."

The older Winchester thought for a moment, and then chuckled softly. "That certainly seems easy enough. I'm glad I've got such a nerd for a brother. I'm hungry, though, so who wants Chinese?"

Dean looked around the area, up and down the streets, until he saw what looked like some sort of restaurant on the other side of the road. He motioned to Sam and started to cross, absent-mindedly walking over a manhole as he went. The cover wobbled as he stepped off of it. Sam, who was following behind his brother, set his foot down on it as he walked along. For just a second, both of his feet rested on the cover, and it bent dangerously.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash behind Dean, followed by a scream and then a loud splash of water. He looked behind him in panic, and swore loudly when he saw the gaping hole in the center of the road.

_It was the heat of the moment- _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_It was the heeeeat of the moment, tellin' me what I wanted-_

"Dude, come on. Wake up."

Dean Winchester sat up slowly on the mattress in the motel room as he heard his brother say the all too familiar words. He looked up and locked eyes with Sam for just a moment, shooting him a terrifying glare before lowering his head back onto the pillow with a sigh.

An hour later, the Winchester brothers were sitting in the same booth at the same diner, with the same civilians and the same waitress. Much to his annoyance, Dean found himself having to explain his story to his brother once again after his coffee had almost spilled for the umpteenth time.

"Well Dean, I'm still having a little trouble grasping this whole situation," Sam stated after listening to his brother's explanation, "but whatever's happening, we'll figure it out."

"Yeah, we better freakin' figure it out..." Dean muttered.

"So, do you have any idea why you're stuck in this time loop?" Sammy questioned. "Have you gotten any clues over the, er, past few days?"

"I thought it had something to do with the Mystery Spot, but now I don't know. Going there has only gotten you killed, twice, but I dunno what else this could be."

Sam nodded. "Okay, well, there's gotta be something we can do. The only thing I can think of is just making sure I stay alive until tomorrow. That can't be too difficult, right?"

Dean chuckled despite himself. "I dunno Sammy, I've watched you die three times already and I haven't been able to do anything to stop it. Kinda like Final Destination, ya know?"

"Well, maybe we can change things," the younger Winchester replied. "Try to mix things up a bit and change the day around. How about I add something to my order?" Dean nodded with a thoughtful expression, and then his brother called over to Doris to add a side of bacon to his short stack. "There," he smiled. "Different day already. If we really try and think about all of our decisions throughout the day, I think we can do this."

Dean smiled as he sipped his coffee; perhaps they really did have a chance at defeating this time loop or whatever it was. Like Sammy said, it was a different day already, and—

The elder Winchester was snapped away from his thoughts as he heard his younger brother start coughing. Sam had gulped down a bit of his beverage, too, and it looked as if it went down the wrong pipe. He slammed a hand against his chest a few times as he continued to cough. And cough. And cough.

"…Sammy?"

_It was the heat of the moment—_

"You mean we can't go out, to do anything, at all?" Sam questioned Dean, who had just re-explained the situation, along with a new decision that would hopefully get his brother a step further to staying alive. "_You_ don't even want to go get breakfast?"

"Believe me, I want to go get some of that pig n' a poke like nobody's business, but I know we're both going to thank me when it's Wednesday."

Sam snorted. "Whatever that means." Dean shot him a bit of a look. "Well, if we can't go out, I think I'm going to do some research. Might give Bobby a call and see if he knows anything about time loops."

Dean nodded. "Okay, sounds good. I'm going to go take a shower, and you're going to sit at that table and not go anywhere, right?" Sam rolled his eyes with a small smile as his brother walked into the bathroom. The younger Winchester then went to grab the bag that contained his laptop and snatch his phone up from its spot on the nightstand.

As he got ready to dial Bobby's number, he looked at the amount of battery that his cell phone had left and noticed that it definitely wouldn't last during a lengthy call. He fished around in his black backpack until he finally found the cord that attached to his phone charger. After eventually locating an outlet, Sam went to plug the charger in. To his surprise, he was met with an agonizing volt of electricity shooting through his body. The younger Winchester let out a scream before falling to ground.

When the loud thud reached Dean's ears, he ran out of the bathroom in a panic. He clenched his jaw and his fists when he saw his brother's body on the floor, rage filling up the pit in his stomach.

_- tellin' me what I wanted._

Dean dropped the grocery bag on the table in the kitchen area of their motel room with a frown. It was noon on Tuesday, again, but he was grateful that Sammy had made it at least this far. Even with the plan in order, they were still human, so he had run out to get some food after instructing his brother to sit in a chair and not touch anything. So far, he was still alive, and that was a plus.

"What'd you get?" Sam asked as his stomach grumbled.

Dean started unloading the bag. "Couple packs of beer, few bags of chips, and some microwaveable meals. Even got LeanCuisine for my sissy of a brother." He handed the latter to Sam, who rolled his eyes and started removing the food from its box. As he read the instructions, plopped it in the microwave, and hit the timer, Dean popped open a beer and started chugging.

"Aw crap," he said after he had finished. "I forgot the chips in the car. Stay right here."

"Yeah, sure," Sam replied, leaning on the counter as he waited for his food to finish. After he had heard the door slam, he grabbed a beer for himself and took a sip. He watched the digits on the microwave count down; he could feel himself getting hungrier with every second. Suddenly, the device made a buzzing sound and started spewing out smoke, which was quickly followed by a small flame. Sam looked at it in shock for a few seconds until he realized what was happening, and lunged for the sink.

Outside, Dean opened the shotgun door of the 1967 Chevy Impala. He felt around for the second grocery bag and pulled it out from under another backpack. The older Winchester then straightened up and shut the car door. Before he could turn around, there was a large boom from behind him, with a huge amount of smoke and heat right on its tail. He didn't even have to turn around to know what had happened, and what was about to—

_It was the heat of the moment-_

It was four o' clock on Tuesday, again, but Sam was still alive, and that's what mattered. He had spent the whole day doing research with his brother; surfing the web, calling Bobby, and reading all the books they had on them for more information on this time loop. However, even with the plan in order, Sam was still human. With all that sitting and all that beer they'd been sipping, it was really time for a stretch and a bathroom break.

After doing both, the younger Winchester made his way to the sink to wash his hands. He soaped, he rinsed, and then flicked some of the water on the ground before wiping the rest of it on his shirt. He took a step forward and suddenly flew backward, finding that there was more water on the floor than he had realized. The big man flailed his arms trying to find something to hang onto, but couldn't do anything before his head smacked onto the hard sink.

Dean, hearing the noise from the other room, closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He then threw the book he was reading across the room and slammed his fists on the table. "Son of a-!"

_-shown in her eyes._

Dean brought the axe down for another blow to the Mystery Spot's walls. There were already hundreds of punctures and holes, but he continued his destruction. Gasoline had been laid down in all of the rooms and Mr. Carpiak had been taped to a chair behind him. Dean Winchester had had _enough_ of this time loop.

Sammy stood by the owner of the attraction's side, watching his brother with his brows furrowed. He put a hand on the man's shoulder to try and calm him down. "Everything's going to be okay, we're not going to hurt you," he assured the man, and then turned to his brother. "Dean! I think you should calm down and think about what—"

"NO!" Dean shouted, seething. "There is something causing this time loop and I'm going to tear this place apart and down to the ground until I find out what it is!" He continued chopping away at the wall, his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping the axe.

"Well, I think you've done enough damage to this man's property, maybe—"

"NO!" the elder Winchester yelled again. "I'm ripping up the friggin' floorboards, tearing into the walls, and burning this place to the ground!"

Sam sighed with a frown. "Seriously, Dean, give it a rest," he said as he walked over to his brother, who was giving the weapon another swing.

"No, you give it a rest!" Another swing.

"Dean, give me the axe."

"Shut up Sammy!" One more swing.

"I'm not kidding, give it up!"

"_NO_!"

Blood splattered across Dean and Mr. Carpiak's faces. The latter started to squirm and shout, but only muffled noises came out of under the tape covering his mouth.

"Oh no…" Dean said, dropping the axe. "Mother of—grahhh!" he shouted as he slammed his fists into the wall repeatedly.

_It was the heeeeat of the moment-_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_It was the heat of the moment—_

"Dude, come on. Wake up."

Dean woke up in his dingy motel bedroom for the hundredth time, sitting up with tired eyes. Every day there was a sliver of hope, that maybe the radio had just played Asia two mornings in a row, but then Dean would open his eyes and see his brother.

"What, I thought you liked Asia?"

The elder Winchester clenched his jaw as he shut his eyes. It was taking all of his strength to not lash out at his brother. It wasn't Sam's fault for not knowing about the time loop. It wasn't Sam's fault for being oblivious every single day. It wasn't even really Sam's fault for dying in every single way possible for the last hundred days as Dean stood there, not able to save him or do anything at all to change his fate, not able to do his one job and protect his little brother—

Dean grabbed the radio that was blaring the retched song and threw it across the room, filled with rage. The cord ripped out of the wall as the device hit the ground and fell into pieces. Sam stared at his brother, his mouth open and his brows furrowed in concern. Dean returned the look, glaring at Sammy and clenching his jaw so hard it hurt.

"So you're stuck in some sort of time loop?"

The Winchesters were back at the diner, just having walked in and sat down (Dean had given up on the 'not-going-outside-' plan about twenty fives Tuesdays ago). The elder stared off at nothing in particular; he didn't really want to go through the explanation again.

"Dean?"

"Yes, okay! I'm stuck in some freaking time loop!" Dean blurted out angrily.

Sam frowned. "Hey, calm down, it's okay. We can figure this out."

"No, we can't. We really can't, Sam," Dean replied. "This is the hundredth Tuesday I've lived through. I have tried everything; I have lived through every possible Tuesday imaginable."

"Okay, okay, I believe you. But there has to be something—"

Dean took a deep breath. "That family by the door?" His brother looked over his shoulder to see, but Dean's eyes never left Sam's face; after all, he knew every inch of this diner, there wasn't really a need to look. "The woman just recently got divorced. The older son has ADHD and the younger has autism. She's a real bad kisser, too."

"Wha—never mind. How do you know all this stuff?" Sammy questioned.

"I told you—every single possible Tuesday has happened. The guy in the suit works for the local law firm, but he's been burying evidence, so so much for the justice system there. The kid in the PJs is skipping because he doesn't want to take his AP Psych exam, and that leather-studded sweetheart over there is still hungover from last night."

The brothers were interrupted by Doris, who was just as plump and falsely chipper as the 99 previous Tuesdays. Dean didn't bother to look up at her as she asked to take their order. As Sam asked for the shortstack and two black coffees once again, his brother couldn't hold his annoyance in any longer.

"You know, Doris, what I would like is for you to put in some more hours at the archery range," he said as his eyebrow twitched. "Your shot is a piece of crap."

"H-how did you know…?"'

"Lucky guess."

Dori looked at Sam, confused. He gave her an apologetic smile in return, and she walked away to place the order.

"Okay, so you know a lot," Sam frowned.

"I know everything."

"I wouldn't go that far."

The Winchesters looked at each other for a moment, both with blank expressions. They then leaned forward at the same time, and opened their mouths.

"Newton's third law represents action and reaction. Force times mass equals acceleration. …Dean Winchester is in love with his car and when no one is looking he—"

"Okay!" Sam stopped. "Look, there has to be something we can do."

"Coffee," Dean desponded, his eyes still distant.

"What?"

A few seconds later, their waitress was back with their beverages. She proceeded to set one in front of Sam and one in front of Dean. As Doris walked away, she made the same mistake for the hundredth time and bumped into the table. The elder Winchester's hand snapped across the table and grabbed the cup.

"Ooh crap—oh, thanks!" Doris replied, her reactions changing in a second.

Sam gave the waitress another smile before she turned away, and then he looked at his brother once again. Dean was glaring into space, his grip tightening on the mug with each passing second.

"Dean?"

There was a crash, and everyone in the diner turned to look at the hunters. Sam's coffee cup was in pieces on the table and Dean's fist was clenched tight. Blood oozed from his palm, and yet he continued to look into the distance, his brow twitching.

"Dean," Sammy said, this time not as a question and with a bit of force.

After a few seconds, Dean's eyes slowly shifted to his brother's face and his fist unclenched at the same speed. As Sam opened his mouth to speak, the elder Winchester gave a snarl and snatched a few paper napkins from their dispenser, gripping them in his injured hand. He then reached into his pocket with his left and dished out a few dollar bills. Dean threw them down on the table before standing up and making his way out the front door, with his brother following a few seconds behind him.

"What was that?"

Dean continued walking, not bothering to answer his brother's question. Sammy had already caught up with him, with his long legs and big strides, and was looking down at Dean with an expression that mixed confusion, concern, and irritation. He put a hand on Dean's shoulder and turned him around, looking at him sternly.

"You can't just go around ruining people's stuff."

Dean scowled at his little brother and raised his voice. "What am I supposed to do, Sam? I'm done with this time loop, and I don't care who knows it! I've seen you die a hundred times. Do you know what that does to a person?"

"Hey, buddy."

The Winchesters turned around to see a police woman sitting on the hood of her car, sipping a cup of coffee with a chilled expression.

"I'm a little busy here, lady," Dean growled, and Sam's hand gripped tighter on his shoulder as a warning.

"No, I think you've got time to talk to me," the law enforcer responded, sliding off of her car and stepping towards the two. "Are you drunk?"

"What? Listen lady, you really don't want to be messing with me right now, alright?"

"Dean, I think we should just talk to her," Sammy said quietly.

"Naaah," the woman said, drawing out the word as if to show how calm she was, but at the same time reached a hand closer to her metal cuffs. "Why don't you come down to the station with me? Just to chat."

"You have no reason to arrest me," Dean grumbled, his fists scrunched along with his jaw.

"Your crazy yelling and bleeding hand reek of probably cause," the authority said sternly, but then smiled once again. "Besides, who said anything about an arrest?"

The older Winchester stared at her for a moment, drilling holes into her skull with his eyes. Then he began to chuckle. It was a low chuckle, one that didn't last very long and one that made Sam gulp—he knew nothing good could possibly come of it.

"Probable cause?" Dean said lowly, making the woman lean in a little to hear him. "Do you want probable cause?"

The cop stood there for a second, confused. Her mouth hung open slightly as she looked for the correct way to approach this crazy guy. No possible scenario in her head could have prepared her for this, though.

Dean spun around on his heels, his fist balled up, and swung at the shop window with his already injured hand. The glass shattered with a crash as Sam and the police woman stared, dumbfounded.

"There's your freakin' probably cause, lady."

"What the heck was that, Dean?" Sam interrogated as the two were shoved into an empty holding call at the police station. His brother stood beside him silently, staring at his newly bandaged hand. After a few moments, he sat down on a cold bench and Sam followed suite.

"I'm done with this, Sam," he muttered after almost five minutes of silence. "Who cares what happens today? You're going to die and I'm going to wake up again, and we'll just relive Tuesday for the hundred and first time as you go back to being a clueless sack of nothing-but-tall and I fail to find the solution again. I'm done."

Sam frowned. His brother really _had_ given up, and he couldn't even being to understand what he was going through. If he really was going to die today (that was a weird thought, but apparently it had happened ninety nine times already. Sam shuttered slightly at the idea) and have no recollection of it when he woke up, he had to be helpful today when he did know what was going on.

The younger Winchester focused his attention at the law enforcement outside of the cell. There was a guard standing outside with his back to them, but at the same time, other officers scurried this way and that with files and cups of java. A radio sat on a table in the corner of the room, shouting out newborn crimes. There had to be valuable information somewhere; after all, they were in a police station.

As Sam's eyes and ears wandered, two policemen approached the watercooler that sat not far from the barred room.

"So how about the disappearance of that professor guy?" one of them said, clearly just as a conversation starter.

The other one grabbed a paper cup and started to fill it up. "Eh, I dunno… we never were able to find much about it."

"That's crazy. Did he really go missing in that Mystery Spot? I mean… you don't believe in all that stuff, do you?"

The second man let out a bellowing laugh. "Have you seen that place? It's like something you would see at the fair! Something that second graders put together, no less. Ha!"

The two men laughed, though the first had an edge to his as if he didn't quite believe his friend's testimony.

Sam turned back to Dean, who was staring at the ground with distance in his eyes. "What about the Mystery Spot? The guy who went missing there could have something to do with it."

Dean chuckled coldly. "I gave up on that place after the fifth Tuesday. It's just a bunch of bullcrap."

Sammy turned his attention back to the cops. They were talking about another case now, it seemed, and the younger Winchester almost lost hope that they would provide any useful information.

"Back to the Mystery Spot case for a second…" the first policeman said.

"Ha! Come on Mike, there's nothing more to say. It was a bust."

Mike frowned. "Well, the guy was an established journalist. I mean, I don't know how he would just up and disappear."

"Did you see the crap he was publishing? Ha! He ripped on tourist attractions like the Mystery Spot for a living! I wouldn't be surprised if an owner of one of those places got angry and tried off 'em." The second cop sipped his water once again. "It's only a hunch, though I guess it's a start. Come on, don't you have paperwork to be doing?"

The two law enforcers scampered off and disappeared into the hubbub of other cops as Sam returned his gaze to his brother. "That sounds like motive right there."

Dean's eyebrows rose slightly. "Okay, that's a place to start I guess. But now we have the problem of how to get out of here safely."

As he emphasized the last word, the door to the holding cell opened. The brothers looked up to see a policewoman holding a huge, obviously drunk man by the arm. When she let him go, he nearly stumbled into the wall, but he managed to hold his balance by gripping one of the bars. The woman left and the cell became almost silent, the only noise being the huffing and puffing of their new cellmate. As Dean glanced around the room for any way to escape, his brother stared at the man in front of them. The two made eye contact for just a second before Sam looked back at the ground, but it was just long enough.

"Hey buddy, ju got a problem?" the man slurred.

Sam gulped. "Uh, no, nope."

Their new friend stepped towards them. "Ju sure? I fink ju were lookin' a' me a bi' funny."

Dean clenched his jaw. This couldn't be a coincidence—he knew what was getting ready to happen. And hey, it would be a way to get out of jail. He couldn't just let Sammy die, though, even if he would just wake up again. He couldn't be that cold-hearted, and he had to be a good brother. Dean stood up.

"Leave up alone, alright bud?"

The man squinted. "Wha-? Did I 'ear you correctly?" He reached a massive hand around Sam's collar. "I don' fink so, pal."

"Hey, guard!" Dean called. "Come get this psycho!"

The drunk reached inside his coat and clawed around as if he was looking for something. He grinned as there was a rip, and his hand reemerged with a long switchblade. When the guard opened the door, gun drawn, Sam was already on the floor with a new coat of red covering his shirt.

_It was the heat of the moment—_

"So what makes this professor so important?"'

The Winchesters were back at the diner, back to Sam not knowing about the time loop, and back to Doris tipping over his cup of coffee. Dean didn't care, though. As he waited on his pig n'a poke to arrive, he clacked away on the keyboard of his brother's laptop. He turned it around to face Sammy after he had gotten to the right website.

"Dexter Hasselback is a professor, but he's also a journalist apparently. The guy makes a living debunking tourist attractions like the Mystery Spot," Dean said. "I think that's what he was trying to do to the Mystery Spot, too."

"And disappearing in it? That sounds like just desserts."

Dean chuckled and sipped on his coffee, his thoughts wandering. A few seconds later, an idea popped into his head and he nearly choked on his coffee. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"It just sounds like just desserts, you know? It's kind of ironic to disappear in a bad tourist attraction when you rip on them for your job—Oh no."

"Yeah, and who else do we know that specializes in giving people their just desserts?"

"The Trickster. This must be another demi god, or something like it."

Dean immediately stood up, throwing a 20 dollar bill on the table as he did so. Sam followed his brother's actions. To their surprise, they were both met with a shove. The leather-clad teenage girl who was in the diner every day pushed past them as she took another drag on his cigarette, her long black ponytail flowing behind her.

Sam frowned for a moment, but then started heading towards the door. He was surprised to find that his brother wasn't following him.

"Dean? What's wrong?"

"That girl," Dean stammered. "Her hair!"

"What about it?"

"She was wearing it up in a ponytail!"

"…And?"

Dean's eyes were wide and his brows were pulled up in a mix of emotions. "Every single day, her hair has been down. Nothing in this diner has changed, nothing except for me, and now this."

_It was the heeeeat of the moment—_

Dean jolted upright with a shock and, to his horror, found himself back in their dingy motel room. Sammy stood over him with a confused expression.

"But you didn't die!" Dean blurted out as he threw his pillow across the room.

"…what?"

Sam's brother glowered for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, he said, "One question—where are the stakes?"

The elder Winchester drummed his fingers on the diner's table as he ignored his pig n'a poke. His eyes wandered around the establishment, watching and waiting. His eyes were glued to the back of the leather covered girl, who had her long black hair up once again.

"So you're stuck in some kind of what, exactly?" Sam questioned as he set his coffee down.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast," Dean replied sharply. Sam gave him a hurt expression for a moment before picking up a fork and a knife and cutting into his pancakes.

It had hardly even been two minutes before Dean's plan was put into effect. As soon as the teenager moved away from her normal spot at the bar, he stood up, clutching a brown paper bag in his hand. He made no attempt to tell his brother of his plan as he followed her out the door. Sammy called after him, but after hearing no reply, stood up and threw a few bucks on their table before hurriedly chasing after Dean.

The elder Winchester made sure to stay a few feet behind his target as they exited the restaurant, watching her as she took one last drag on her cigarette and threw it to the ground. When they reached the end of the sidewalk, he tapped her on the shoulder as Sam came up with a frown next to them.

"Excuse me, miss," Dean said with a smile as the girl turned around. "I was wondering, do you have anyway to stay tonight? I mean, my brother and I have some extra room back at the motel."

Sammy looked at Dean with wide eyes as the girl chuckled softly.

"I think you're a little too old for me, mister," she responded, squinting her eyes.

Dean laughed too, reaching into his paper bag as he did so. "You know, I'm really not sure if that's the case."

To Sam's horror, his brother pulled out a wooden stake and brought it to the girl's neck. She had the same reaction.

"Whoa, hey! Get away from me, you freak!"

"Shut up!" Dean yelled back. "I know who you are!"

"H-hey man, I don't think you do," she replied, quivering. "I'm Stephanie Trix, I'm 17, and I just dropped out of high school. I have nothing to give you, so please, let me go!"

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sammy asked with his brows furrowed. "She's got nothing to do with—"

"Yes she does," the elder Winchester said, tightening his grip on the stake and digging it further into her neck. "Giving people what they deserve, giving them their just desserts? I know exactly what you are, and you're not just some teenager with a leather obsession. We've killed one of your kind before!"

Stephanie looked up at Dean with horror in her eyes as tears started to form around their edges. Suddenly, she started to laugh. Dean glowered in confusion and his eyes widened as he saw what was happening in front of him. The girl's face started to morph and fade, and a few seconds later, it was replaced with an all too familiar face. A face that belonged to someone who was supposed to be dead.

"Actually bucko, you didn't," the Trickster grinned.

Dean breathed heavily, knitting his eyebrows and glaring at the monster in front of him. "Why are you doing this?"

The Trickster scoffed. "Are you serious? You chuckleheads tried to kill me—why wouldn't I be doing this?"

"What about the professor, Dexter Hasselback?" Sam asked with an edge in his voice. "What did he do to become worthy of your little pranks?"

"Well, he said that he didn't believe in wormholes, so I dropped him in one. Ha!" the demi god laughed with a grin. "Then you guys hit down and I just couldn't resist."

Dean's knuckles turned white as he grasped the stake in his hand. "You think this is funny, you jerk? Killing my brother over and over again?"

The Trickster smiled. "First of all, yes, it is fun. And two—this is so not about killing Sam. This joke is on you, Dean." The elder Winchester's eyebrows furrowed deeper. "Watching him die, over and over, forever…"

Dean's jaw clenched, his lip twitching in frustration. In a flash, he raised his unoccupied hand and punched the demi god in the face, who groaned for a moment before beaming once again.

"How long will it take you to realize?" he said impishly. "You won't be able to save your brother, no matter what. Even after selling your soul for him, you're going to die and he's going to go down with you."

Dean glared at him for a moment before digging the stake into the Trickster's throat again. "Oh yeah? If I kill you now, this will all be over, and you won't have to worry your ugly face about that."

"Whoa, whoa! Okay, okay. Look, this was all just a little prank. You guys can't handle it? Fine, you're out of it. When you wake up tomorrow, it will be Wednesday. I swear."

"You're lying," Dean shot back.

"Oh yeah? Well, if I am, you know where to find me—smoking a cig in the diner."

Sam looked at his brother for a moment, his face blank. Dean returned the look, thinking for a moment, before turning back to the Trickster.

"Nah, it'd just be easier to kill you now."

"Sorry kiddo," the Trickster replied, raising his hands, "can't have that."

_Snap!_

_But you better promise me I'll be back in time…_


End file.
